Twenty-three (23) human rights activists in the U.S., including 7 Palestinians, are currently under subpoena to appear before a Grand Jury in Chicago, headed and controlled by U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald. The Grand Jury is a secret and closed interrogation conducted without media presence, judge supervision or the right to an attorney. The basis of the investigation is the activists’ work to educate and organize for human rights in Palestine and Colombia, as well as protestingU.S.wars around the world.

All 23 of the targeted activists have invoked their Fifth Amendment right and have chosen not to testify before the Grand Jury. The U.S. Attorney may now force these activists to testify or go to prison. Whether some are indicted or others are jailed for refusing to testify, the threat to our constitutional rights, including freedom of speech and assembly, is very real.